More than 10 percent of children aged 13 to 15 reported receiving at least one sexual message online within the past year, according to data from a recent survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The findings reveal that while the majority of these messages were sent by peers of the same age, a significant number originated from adults, particularly among girls.

The ONS survey, which collected over 6,000 responses from children aged 10 to 15 in England and Wales between March 2025 and February 2026, focused on perceptions of crime and online safety. Questions relating to the receipt and sending of sexual messages, as well as exposure to harmful content online, were directed specifically at those aged 13 and older.

Among young recipients of sexual messages, 25 percent of girls reported receiving content from senders aged 18 or over, compared to 12 percent of boys. The majority of these messages were in the form of comments or texts (84 percent), followed by photos (51 percent) and videos (26 percent). One in four children who received such messages said they had received more than ten in the preceding year.

This is the first time the ONS conducted an online survey of this nature, which allowed children to respond independently without the presence of an interviewer or parent. Caroline Youell of the ONS’s Centre for Crime and Justice explained that this approach encouraged more candid responses and allowed participation across multiple devices, improving the quality and reliability of the data. She noted that the new survey received nearly four times as many responses as previous efforts, providing a stronger evidence base for policymakers addressing children’s safety.

The survey also found that nearly half of respondents (48 percent) had encountered significant amounts of online hate speech targeting people based on particular characteristics. Additionally, one in five boys said they had searched for sexual content online, compared with one in ten girls.

These findings highlight ongoing concerns about the risks children face in digital environments and underscore the need for continued efforts to protect young users from inappropriate and harmful online material.